


Exploring the Subconscious

by addledwalrus



Category: Original Work
Genre: Age Difference, Aunts & Uncles, Babysitting, Crush at First Sight, Dark Carnival, Darkness, Devils, Dreamsharing, Fashion & Couture, Fate Worse Than Death, Father-Daughter Relationship, Female Friendship, Female Protagonist, Forbidden, Frozen (2013) References, Gen, Ghosts, Goddesses, Horny Teenagers, Hotels, Humorous Ending, Kidnapping, Parent-Child Relationship, Psychological Horror, Punishment, Rage, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Rescue Missions, Sexual Frustration, Snow Queen Elements, Suicide, Supernatural Elements, Tentacle Monsters, Virgin Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-11-23 05:59:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11396730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addledwalrus/pseuds/addledwalrus
Summary: Tamara disobeys her parents and sets out to discover the mystery of a forbidden hotel room. Elsewhere, friends Taylor and Madison get into big trouble at a carnival.





	1. The Forbidden Room

"Hey there, sweetie. Are you alright?"

Eight year old Tamara stopped at the sound of the woman's voice and spun around to see a smiling receptionist whom hadn't been present earlier.

"My name's Olivia. I'm here to help you, so there's no need to be afraid..."

Tamara stared nervously back for a couple of seconds before shyly beginning to open up about her worries.

"I'm looking for my Mom and Dad, but I can't remember which room they're in."

"Oh, that's easy. Just tell me your name and I can look them up." Olivia said brightly while reaching for a large guest book.

"My name's Tamara Olsen."

Olivia nodded in understanding and slowly traced her manicured finger down a certain page, only to pause in confusion some moments later.

"That's funny. Room 76 belongs to a Mr Caruso..."

"It's okay. He's my Dad."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, then. One of our concierges will be here soon to show you there."

A young man in uniform arrived shortly after just as promised and Tamara gladly followed him back to the room where her mother was waiting.

They passed the ever locked room 73 along the way and despite remembering her father's constant warnings, she once again yearned to discover the secret that lay within.

* * *

"Mommy, what's in room 73? Why is it always locked?" Tamara asked desperately while sitting quietly upon the couch beside her mother.

Jennifer yawned and stretched her arms lazily before pulling the little girl close again.

"Don't you ever get the hint? Only your Dad knows why and he won't even tell me..."

"How come?"

"Who knows? Let's just watch this movie together. It's your favorite, right?"

Tamara frowned in disappointment and curled up closer just as the so-called Snow Queen began to unleash eternal winter upon an entire kingdom.

* * *

Tamara stumbled into the dark hotel corridor after midnight and tried her best to fight sleep while creeping slowly towards the mysterious room 73.

She quickly made sure that no adults were around before knocking a few times and waiting in uncertainty.

There was no response and she tried twice more, which succeeded in finally attracting a whimper from deep within.

She stepped back warily just as the door flap was lifted and discovered in surprise that the figure inside seemed to be nothing more than a frightened looking young woman.

"Please let me out. I've been trapped in here for over forty years..."

"I can't." Tamara answered firmly while preparing to turn back around.

"No, don't go! Stay a few minutes and I'll tell you my story. After that, you can decide whether or not to help me..."

Tamara sighed and looked into the woman's clear but desperate eyes before relenting.

"Okay, but I'll be in big trouble if my parents find me here..."

"Then I shall be quick. My name is Ingrid and I was dead before your father was even born..."

An uneasy feeling arose in Tamara's stomach but she listened intently regardless until the tale was over and she began to feel a newfound sympathy for the strange guest.

As per the directions that Ingrid had given, she ran downstairs to find the cupboard in which the right key was stored.

She returned after narrowly avoiding been spotted by a security guard and rushed back up to finish her forbidden business.

It took three full turns before the door swung open with a satisfying click and Ingrid smiled in complete gratitude.

"I don't know how to thank you, little girl, but I must be moving on. Family and friends are calling..."

At that, Ingrid wandered off down the hallway and disappeared into the darkness, never to be seen again by the other residents of the hotel.

* * *

Tamara breathed a sigh of relief and trudged away in the opposite direction, eager to rejoin her parents after the troublesome time she'd had.

Unfortunately, she was soon found by the very security guard from earlier, whom began to grin at her in a rather menacing way.

"Wakey, wakey sweetheart..."

He shone his torch straight at her face and she screamed in terror before the surrounding shadows came alive to consume them both.


	2. Run Through Playland

_"I'm going to be in such deep shit..." Madison told herself while sprinting across the schoolyard towards the main building, only to freeze in shock when she entered to find that time itself seemed to have stopped._

_Various classmates and friends stood completely still all around, indefinitely frozen in whatever activities they'd been carrying out as the accompanying silence proved most eerie indeed._

_Madison could hear her own breathing rather clearly as she sidestepped around each figure, taking in everybody's facial features until her phone rang and broke the peace._

_"Hello? Who's there..." She asked nervously, fearful that someone was still capable of calling in such a situation._

_"Maddie, it's me, Taylor. Are you alright?"_

_"Yeah, but everyone's frozen. It's creeping me out.. "_

_"Okay. Meet me in the bathroom on the second floor. I have a plan."_

* * *

Madison came out of her daydream in the middle of class and rubbed both eyes while missing the fun of shifting classmates into compromising positions.

She spun around quickly to make eye contact with her friend and the knowing smile the other girl gave in return, made it clear that the fantasy wasn't her's alone.

They convened in the hall once class was over to discuss ways to share the workload when it came to an important science project.

"So it's decided. You'll send the slides to me when you're done and I'll make them look fancy..."

"Yeah, that's the best way we can tackle it..." Madison agreed while holding back the urge to criticize Taylor's inability to conduct even the most basic of research.

"Thanks! You're the best friend ever!"

"My pleasure..."

* * *

"Maddie, I'm done! Would you like to have a look?" Taylor exclaimed brightly after spending hours editing the slideshow so that it would hopefully score top marks for presentation.

She went silent and simply smiled in amusement upon seeing the brunette fast asleep, evidently tired from reading and typing for a whole night.

Taylor turned back around and pressed save before standing up to find snacks, unwilling to disturb her friend's slumber in the wake of such hard work.

She curled up on the living room couch a few minutes later with bag of cookies in hand, savoring the sweetness of each one until she too drifted asleep without realizing.

* * *

The two girls hopped off the carousel together, giggling and leaning on each other while straightening out their rumpled skirts. Taylor clapped her hands and made a playful suggestion.

"Oh my God, that was amazing! Let's do it again!"

"No, we're saving our money for the cotton candy, remember?"

"Yeah, that..."

"Come on, we're bound to find something more fun later."

"Fine."

They walked hastily away from the carousel and past spinning clown heads before they arrived at the food stand. Madison stepped in line and waited for her friend to follow, but the other girl remained rooted in place.

"Taylor, is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just that guy over there. He's so... wow..." Taylor replied without turning around, her eyes fixated on a young man standing casually near the petting zoo.

"Don't bother. He's like twenty five..." Madison urged impatiently as she immediately recognized the strange man and felt uncomfortable as a result.

"You know him?!"

"No, I don't. He's just some creep who lurks in my dreams from time to time."

"Well, to each their own. Oh my God, I think he just winked at me!"

"Okay, you're getting out of hand. Stay here with me, please..."

"But, Maddie! Brendan's gay and I'm really frustrated! Won't you let me have a chance for once?"

"Alright..." Madison eventually relented with a heavy sigh. "...But shout if anything goes wrong, okay?"

"I will."

Taylor then licked her lips and strutted towards to the new object of her interest, leaving Madison alone to purchase two sticks of flossy pink goodness.

* * *

"Hi, my name's Taylor. What's your's?" She asked brightly upon reaching the young man's side and extending her hand.

"Me? I'm Jared."

"Oh, are you single?"

"Are you a virgin?" He countered immediately, as if the subject of his relationship status was an uncomfortable one.

"Yeah..." Taylor admitted sheepishly while her cheeks reddened. "Why do you ask?"

"This is why."

He yanked her forward by the hair without warning and she let out a scream, only for it to be cut short when a chloroform soaked cloth was pressed to her face and she fell unconscious within seconds.

Jared then lay the limp teenager down on the grass and called out to a previously unseen female companion while gesturing excitedly at his latest catch.

"Brittany, over here! I've got another one!"


	3. Family Planning

"Dad, can I ask you something?" Tamara spoke up, looking away from her crayons while determined not to let a rare moment with her father go to waste.

"Sure, sweetheart. Go ahead."

"Who's Ingrid?"

David's eyes widened in discomfort as childhood memories that he'd thought had been buried deep suddenly burst back to the surface.

He wasn't ready to jump to conclusions however and began to seek confirmation that it was all just a coincidence.

"Where did you hear that name?"

Tamara realized that she would have to do quite a bit of explaining and as such, cleared her throat before continuing.

"I had a dream where we lived in a hotel. She lived in a room that nobody else was allowed in."

"Did you see her?"

"Yes."

"What did she look like?"

"She had blonde hair like Mom. And her eyes were blue."

"I see..." David uttered quietly in response while shifting away slightly. "Why don't you go read a book or watch some TV? I'll clean up."

"Okay."

Tamara hopped out of her chair and left him alone to consider the possibility that there did indeed exist a certain sixth sense that was particularly strong during childhood.

 _"No, that's crazy..."_ He insisted to himself after a few moments. _"She must have heard the name around my parents, seen a few pictures and made the connection. It's not hard."_

* * *

"She's all your's for tonight. Think of it as practice for when you start having kids for real."

"But Alicia and I aren't-"

"I used to think the same thing, but accidents happen sometimes." Jennifer interrupted whilst recalling her wedding night and finding it hard to believe that her own brother had also gotten married just a fortnight before.

"Fine, I'll give it a try. It can't be that hard, anyway."

"That's the spirit. I'll see you again tomorrow morning."

At that, Jennifer glanced past him in order to wave goodbye to her daughter, before leaving the apartment on her way to a highschool reunion.

Zach shut the door and knelt down so that he was at eye level with Tamara. He tried to remember the activities he'd enjoyed as a child and suggested the first thing that came to mind.

"I heard you like Disney movies. Is that right?"

"Yes."

"Any favorites?"

"Frozen."

"Okay. Would you like to see another one for a change?" Zach answered, reluctant to see a film that many by now believed to be grossly overrated.

"Like what?"

"The Lion King."

Tamara blinked in confusion and he simply went across the room to turn on his laptop.

"You're going to love it. Trust me."

* * *

"There. It won't get in the way now."

Tamara wriggled away from Alicia's side to get a closer look at her braided hair in the mirror, before turning around to smile in gratitude.

"I like you. You're nicer than Mom."

"Thanks."

"Can I go to bed now?"

"Sure. Do you want me to leave the light on for you?"

"Yes, please!"

Alicia met Zach again in the living room once their niece was safely in bed. She slumped down beside him on the couch and gave a sigh of relief.

"We've done pretty well, haven't we? Makes me wonder how it'll be with an actual baby..."

They turned to stare at each other for several moments while imagining the possibility, before Zach lowered his head in dismay.

"Nah, it'll be too expensive. We'd have to give up everything that makes us comfortable, or else end up homeless..."

"Yeah, I guess we really aren't ready yet." Alicia agreed while curling up closer by his side. "But we can still plan in the meantime, right?"

* * *

Alicia entered the bedroom to find Tamara already asleep beneath the covers and paused briefly to guess what the little girl was dreaming about.

 _"Probably lions."_ She assumed before switching off the lights and lying down beside her for company.

Meanwhile, Zach tried to make himself comfortable on the couch, only to give up when his tall stature made the task rather difficult indeed.

After a few seconds of mental cursing, he got back up and instead decided that sharing the bed with one extra person was still more preferable.


	4. Run Through Playland, Part II

"Taylor!" Madison cried out in a panic after recognizing her friend's scream. She then hastily pushed past the other people in line, ignoring their irritated reactions and complaints about her rudeness.

The next thing she did was run straight towards the petting zoo, only to freeze when there was no sign whatsoever of the other girl or the devilish young man.

_"Oh God, I'm too late..."_

All the lights at the carnival began to flicker rapidly before steadily going out one by one, eventually plunging the entire place into darkness and leaving her to hopelessly fumble around in despair.

A few tears rolled down her cheeks as the minutes rolled by and Madison began to pray that it was all just a nightmare from which she would soon awaken.

To make matters worse, a heavy mist formed to blanket the area and deprive her of already limited vision.

Feeling completely helpless from that point on, she simply slumped on to the ground in a sitting position until soft footsteps put her on edge once again.

"Don't cry, child. Betty's here to help you..." A quiet voice sounded soon after, prompting her to warily climb back to her feet and demand answers.

"Who...who are you?!"

"Calm down." The mysterious person replied, emerging into her view with a bright lamp and what looked like a scabbard strapped their side. "I take it that your friend has been kidnapped?"

"Yeah, how do you know?"

"I notice many things. More than anyone ever cares to suspect, in fact. Anyway, the ones you are looking for are my granddaughter and her lover."

"But it was a man-"

"That man is her lover and I have cause to believe that he has corrupted her pure heart. He must be stopped by any means necessary and this sword may prove rather useful."

Betty passed the weapon to Madison and the latter stared down in disbelief.

"You're trusting me with this thing?"

"Anything is worth sacrificing in the fight against evil."

"Okay, thanks. So how do I know where to find them?"

"In the mansion on the hill, of course." Betty answered matter-of-factly, shifting and pointing in a direction that merely seemed vague through all the haze.

"I'm sorry, I have no-"

"Not to worry. I can take you there myself."

At that, the old woman swiftly grabbed her hand and she let out a startled scream as they shot straight up into the air.

* * *

"Thanks... thanks so much for helping me." Madison spoke up breathlessly after they finally landed. "But the trip was a little rough, if I have to say so."

"My pleasure, coffee girl." Betty said proudly before disappearing, leaving the teenager confused as to whether she was using a term of endearment or some unusual racial slur.

She decided not to think too much hard about it and instead focused on finding Taylor.

She took a step back and with a single forceful kick, sent the main door flying open before charging inside to begin her quest.

A mysterious masked man stood in the corridor and tried to bar her way, but she was able to cut him down with a single swing of her sword.

The others whom heard the noise and came to investigate turned out to be just as fragile, as she sliced through them all like paper until none were left standing.

 _"Well, that was too easy..."_ She thought while eyeing the still clean blade in disbelief.

* * *

A pretty young woman confronted Madison outside the main hall and she raised the sword once again, preparing to take her down just like the others.

"I'm sorry, honey. You'll have to go through me first."

What happened next left her speechless and she could only stare in horror as the woman shed all previous beauty by transforming into a hideous squid like creature.

Madison felt inclined to vomit in disgust at the nauseating sight, but memories of Taylor helped her to maintain composure and bravely stand her ground.

The creature attempted to sweep her aside with one of it's tentacles, but she promptly chopped it off without even fully realizing what was happening.

A deafening hiss tore through the walls and Madison interpreted it as a cry of pain. Feeling all powerful and fueled by a new thirst for violence, she then proceeded to sever each remaining tentacle until the creature was left twitching weakly in a large blue puddle.

* * *

"Let her go!" She screamed immediately upon bursting through the doors and seeing Taylor strapped tightly to a table while a knife hovered inches above.

"What?" Jared could only mutter in fear as he slowly withdrew the sacrificial weapon and noticed the dark blood dripping off the tip of her sword. "Did you just defeat Brittany?"

"Who?"

"My girlfriend. The tentacle monster."

Madison remembered Betty's words and glanced around at the now dead creature, before turning back to face him.

"Are you saying you have sex with that thing?!"

"Hey, she's not a thing! She's beautiful and I love her!"

Taylor gave a muffled choke of disgust through her gag.

"Anyway, I had no idea your friend was a real person."

He tossed the knife to the floor and placed both hands up in surrender, allowing her to walk right up to cut Taylor's restraints.

"I can't believe I fell for a guy like that..."

"Come on. Let's go home."

Taylor sat up with some effort before sliding off the table and leaning against her arm for support as they left the room together.

Jared watched them go and continued to stand numbly for several moments, before the full extent of his own stupidity became clear and he slapped himself in the face as punishment.

_"Brittany's going to be so pissed when she sees me again..."_


	5. Epilogue

Jared reached down to retrieve his knife from the floor and turned it slowly around in his hands, admiring it's sharpness until a shocking fact became clear.

The world should have begun to collapse as soon as Brittany was killed, yet here he was, still alive while the surrounding walls were all intact.

He remembered the way Madison had so effortlessly slain everybody but him and could only conclude that she had somehow sabotaged this dream by making it her own.

There was only one explanation for such a possibility and a certain passage from the Bible came to mind as he gazed one last time at his girlfriend's remains.

_"I guess you've won this round, Miss Williams..."_

He raised the knife up high and plunged it's blade deep into his chest, allowing his blood to spill on to the table before he died.

* * *

"We've done a great job, don't you think? They look amazing..."

Madison nodded in agreement while she also admired the pair of mannequins standing behind the shop window, decked from head to toe in 1950's formal wear.

"Yeah, they really are a pretty couple. Like Barbie and Ken."

"Nah, more like Grace Kelly and Monty Clift..."

"Taylor... you know those two never did any movies together, right?"

"I know, but imagine if they did..."

"Oh yeah..."

The two friends allowed themselves a few moments to fantasize about such a scenario before Madison remembered the reason they'd come to this mall in the first place.

"Come on, let's go check out possible prom dresses. We're running out of time..."

Jared's left eye twitched ever so slightly once the girls were gone and as he noticed Brittany staring back at him blankly, only one thought entered his mind.

_"Kill me..."_


End file.
